Studies

The maintenance of a public sex offense registry has been codified as a non-punitive civil policy since the 2003 Supreme Court case of Smith v. Doe. But since then, sex offense registries have transformed from a centralized state repository of information to a sprawling digital archive of personal data about people required to register. We identify and report the current

Crime is not gender-neutral, according to Franca Cortoni. Women commit far fewer sexual offenses than men, and their risk of re offending after returning to the community is also much lower. A new meta-analysis based on data for 4,208 women shows a recidivism rate of just three per cent over 15 years. You can read the full study here.

A new study shows that research is now looking closely at how digital technology has changed the way people are punished. The sex offense registry in the U.S. is a prime example. What was once described by the Supreme Court as a simple, non-punitive list has now become something very different. Technology has transformed the registry into a system of

The task of reintegration for people convicted of sexual offences (PCOSOs) is even more challenging, in part due to the media presentation of such individuals as a homogeneous group comprised of people who will inevitably reoffend (Hanson et al., 2018). For example, a public survey in Florida found that residents predicted general sexual recidivism rates to be around 75% (Levenson

Abstract Juvenile sex offender registration was never a natural fit for the youth justice system, but in the digital age, it has become deeply harmful. What began as a paper-based precaution has evolved into a sprawling digital regime that permanently brands adolescents at the most formative stage of life. This article examines how technological change has turned registration into a

This study critiques sex offense registration and notification laws (SORN), arguing that they are ineffective, costly, and harmful, and calls for a shift towards evidence-based interventions to address sexual violence. Ineffectiveness of Sex Offense Registries The modern sex offense registry has been shown to be ineffective in reducing recidivism and may even increase it. ​ Public registries do not work